Duplex container



July 7, 1936. A. RINGLER DUPLEX CONTAINER Filed Nov. 15, 1952 g a MM ,WM Wfim 6 j a A 4, I ||-l|||w m .7 g 6 K v m e 7 a 7 w i i w, 4 /3 {W veI y W y v 4 e. 3 x J I M 7 a 8 e *0 6. a

Prams 1,1,7, 1936 Application November 15, 1932, Serial No. 642,183

3 Claims.

.The object of this invention is to devise-a novel construction andarrangement of a duplex container wherein two separate and independentcontainers are assembled within an outer con- 5 tainer which is providedwith a weakened line the inserts or inner containers being disposedwithin the box with juxtaposed walls in proximity to the weakened linewhereby the container can bebroken in two along said weakened line toform two separate and independent containers each of which consists ofone-half of the outer container and an article carrying container slid-vably mounted within it.

A further object of the invention is to devise 16 an outer blank wherebyan outer container or box may be formed from a single blank of materialand a novel construction of a blank for forming a novel construction andarrangement of a box-like member which serves as an article carrier inwhich the articles can be shipped.-

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter moreclearly appear my invention comprehends novelconstructions andarrangements of blanks and novel constructions and arrangements ofblanks formed therefrom whereby two inserts of box-formation can beplaced within an outer container and the device broken in two along abreaking edge caused by juxtaposed walls of the inserts to provide. two

independent composite boxes each of which consists of an outer memberinto which its insert is slidable.

It further comprehends a-novel duplex eontainer which is adapted to bebroken in two to provide two separate and independent contain.

ers each having an article carrier with its respec'- tive closure andthe article carrier is formed in such a manner that as the articles areremoved therefrom the remaining articles will be retained 40 in asubstantially fixed condition. This is .es-

pecially advantageous when articles, such as, for example, cigarettes,are to be packed in the container.

- It further comprehends a novel container com-, I prising an outerboxformation consisting of two members in telescopic relationship andinserts in the outer container having juxtaposed walls forming abreaking line on which the outer container and inserts can be divided toform two so'aeparate and independent article containers.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter moreclearly appear in the detailed description and the appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention,

66 I have shown in the accompanying drawing typi- (craze-15) .calembodiments of it, which, in practice, will give satisfactory andreliable results. It is, however, to be understood that thevariousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized, and my 6 invention is not limited to the exactarrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein'setforth.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank from which an outer containerembodying my invention may 10 be formed. j Figure 2 is a plan view of ablank from which an article carrier embodying my invention mar be'formed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the article 15 carrier formed from theblank seen in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the outer container formed from theblank seen in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the completed container before itis broken in two. 20

Figure 6 is a side elevation partly in section showing more clearly themanner in which articles, such as, for example, cigarettes, areaccessible for removal when the container has been, broken in two andoneof the independent con- 25 tainers has been opened and partiallywithdrawn from its outer container. I

Figure '1 is a sectional elevation of an article carrier and its outercontainer, showing more particularly the manner in which an article,such 30 as, for example, a cigarette, is retained in substantially fixedand stationary position in its carrier. e V

Figure 8 is asectional view of another embodiment of my inventionwherein the outer con- .35 tainer is formed from two telescoping boxeswhich are separate from each other instead of being connected as in thecase of the construction shown in Figure 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corre- 4o spending parts. i

Referring to the drawing:

l designates a blank from which an outer container embodying myinvention isformed. The

blank is provided with the weakened lines 2, 3, 45

l, "and 5 which contribute to form the end fold t, body folds I and 8,end fold 9, body folds l0 and II, and the end fold l2. The blank is alsoprovided with the weakened line l3 which contributes to form a side foldll with end tabs i5 and I6, and a side fold ll with an end tab l8. Theline l3 merges into the slit l9 to separate the end tabs l6 from the'endfold! and the slit 20 separates the end tab IB- from the side fold ll.In a similar manner the opposite-side of the blank isprovided with aweakened line 2| extending longitudinally across it and contributing toform with the weakened line 2, an end tab 22 and also forming a sidefold 23. This weakened line 2| merges into a slit 24 which separates thetab 25 from the end fold 5, it being understood that the weakened line 3extends across the folds l4 and 23. The tab 25 is separated from a sidefold 26 by a slit 21. The weakened line 5 contributes to form the endtab 28. The end tabs l5, I6, 22 and 26 are preferably,

but not necessarily, cut out as shown in Figure I. The inserts areformed from a blank 29 of sheet material, as shown in Figure 2. Thisblank is provided with the weakened lines 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34 and 35,extending across it which contribute to form a hinged fold 36, a bodytold 31, an end fold 38, a body fold 38, a hinged fold 40, a cover fold4|, and a locking flap 42. The locking flap 42 is provided with a slit43 which contributes to form a tab 44.

The outer container is formed by proper folding of the blank seen inFigure 1, it being seen that the side folds i4 and 23 are bent upwardlyas well as the end fold 6, and the tabs l5 and 22 are bent inwardly asshown, and closed or otherwise secured to the end fold 6. In a similarmanner the side folds i1 and 26 are bent upwardly and the tabs l3 and 23are secured to the inner face of the fold I2. It will thus be seen thatan outer container is formed from two telescoping box-shapedconstructions which are hinged together.

The inserts are formed by folding the blank 29 seen in Figure 2, intothe formation seen in Figure 3, so that a box-like construction isformed with its independent closure but with opposite sides open.

The two inserts may be secured prior to insertion in the outer containeror subsequently thereto and are placed within .the outer container asshown in Figure 5 with juxtaposed walls in proximity to each other. Theside fold ll of the cover portion of the box is secured by adhesive orother desired means to the side fold I4, and, in a similar manner, theside fold 26 of the cover portion of the box is secured to the side fold23 of the body portion of the box.

It will be seen that the blank I is provided with a scored or perforatedline 45 extending laterally across it and across the side folds l4 and23, thus dividing the body portion of the outer container into the foldsI and 3. In a similar manner, a scored or perforated line 46 extendsacross the blank to form the body folds I0 and II and also extendsacross the side folds l1 and 26. It will'thus be understood that whenthe articles are packed in their inserts or inner containers and placedin the outer container with the cover secured to the body portion, theparts will appear as seen in Figure 6 and the weakened line 46 will forma continuation of the weakened line 45 so that there is a perforated orscored line extending completely around the outer container on which itcan be broken, the juxtaposed walls formed by the end closures 4| of theinserts forming a breaking line in proximity to the scored or perforatedlines 45 and 46. The outer container, if desired, may be wrapped in theusual manner with a transparent,

' In the form seen in Figure 5 the separate conpackage, as shown inFigure 5, and desires to open it, he grasps a side of the package withone hand and the opposite side of the package with the other hand andbends opposite sides downwardly so that the box will break on the 5 line46 and he then bends opposite portions of the package in the oppositedirection so that the outer container will break on the line 45. Thisprovides two separate and independent containers each of which consistsof an outer container with an inner container slidable therein.

When it is desired to remove an article from one of the separatecontainers the user places his finger nail under the tab 44 and drawsthe article carrier outwardly, folding outwardly the folds 36 and 40,see Figure 6, so that an article 41, such as, for example, a cigarette,can be readily renioved. Special attention is directed to the fact thatafter a number of articles have been removed from one of the independentcontainers the articles will still be retained in substantially fixedposition therein when the article carrier is moved into its outercontainer, since, the side walls of the article carrier after beingopened and the flaps opened outwardly deflect inwardly 25 as shown at 46and 49 in Figure '7. This places sufiicient tension on the articles toretain them in place. For example, if cigarettes are employed itprevents the shaking or rattling of the cigarettes and thereby thetobacco from falling out the ends of the cigarette wrapper.

In the form shown in Figures 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7, the outer container isformed from a single sheet of material.

In Figure 8, I have shown another embodiment of my invention wherein aconventional telescoping box is employed having a flanged bottom 50 anda flanged top 5|. The lower box section is provided with the weakenedline 52 corresponding to the weakened line 45 which extends around thebottom section and its side flanges and the top section is provided witha scored or perforated line 53 corresponding to the line 46 whichextends around the top of the box and the side flanges of the topsection. It will thus be seen that it is immaterial whether the outercontainer is formed from a single blank or from two blanks since thepackage is broken apart in a similar manner to that already describedwith reference to the other figures of the drawing, so that two separateand independent containers are provided.

It will be noted that in this form of my invention when the package isbroken in two each separate and independent package will have a 55triple wall at the bottom and double walls at two opposite sides, theother two opposite side walls having the double thickness of the outercontainer.

tainer formed by the left-hand portion of the package will have a triplewall at the bottom, whereas the one at the right will have a doublewall.

In order to illustrate the' simplest form of package, the blank shown inFigure 2 is not provided with any folds which would form end folds forthe insert but it will, of course, be apparent that if desired theinserts may be provided with folds which would close in the oppositeends in addition to the side folds 31 and 39.

My present type of container can be very economically manufactured as itmay be formed from simply twoblanks of "sheet material with practicallyno waste of material. The locking 76 but they are preferably convergingas shown in order to facilitate the movement of the locking flap 42 intothe outer container in which it is slidable. w It will now be apparentthat I have devised. a new and useful duplex container which embodies jthe features of advantage'enumerated as desirable in the statement ofthe invention and the abov'e'description, and while I have, in thepresent instance, shown and described preferred embodi- -ments thereofwhich will give in practice satisclaim as'new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is: l

1. In a duplex container, an outer container comprising telescopingsections having weakened lines on which they can be severed; inserts in;said sections comprising foldable blanks having.

the marginal closures of the delivery opening provided with weakenedlines and with a closing fold, the juxtaposed closing folds being inproximity to the weakened lines of'said sections whereby when the outercontainer is severed on.

its weakened lines two separate and independent containers will beformed each comprising an outer box formation with an open top and itsin-.

aert slidable therein, said insert when drawn outwardly and bentoutwardly on its weakened lines causing when returned to its box apressure on the articles contained therein.

2; In a duplex container, a rectangular blank 5 of sheet materialfoldable to form-a body portion having a bottom, closed sides, a closedend, with the other end having sealing flaps extendin'g'im. wardly andlaterally from the sides, and a cover having a closed top, closed sides,a closed end, with the opposite end open, andwith the closed topconnected by a fold with said bottom. said cover havinga weakened lineextending across its top and sides, and said body portion having aweakened line extending across its bottom and sides in alignment withthe weakened line (if the cover when the latter is closed.

3. In a duplex container, a rectangular blank of sheet material foldableto form a body portion having a bottom, closed sides and closed end,with thej'other end having sealingflaps extending inwardly and laterallyfrom the sides, and a cover in telescoping relation with said body por-;tion having a closed top, closed sides, a closed end, with the oppositeend open, andwith the closed top connected by, afoldwith said bottom,said-,cover' having a weakened line extending across its top andsides,and said body portion having n weakened line extending across its bottomand sides in alignment with-the weakened line of the cover when the'latter is closed.-

WIILIAM A. RINGLER.

